Honoré de Balzac - The Unknown Masterpiece BOOK REVIEW

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Paul Giamatti's Balzac:

American Scholar Article:

[tadaspetra]

I love how deeply you think and understand authors intent with books. I feel like I never understand the deeper meanings in them lol

[HGaho]

Great review as usual. However, I think that you may have the wrong idea about "La Comédie Humaine": even though NYRB has a collection of stories called "The Human Comedy", what Balzac called "Comédie Humaine" was a big part of his work (more than sixty novels if I recall correctly) describing almost each a different part of society at the time. One interesting thing about this comedy would be that it was all interconnected and that characters from one novel could be seen in other novels as well.

Also, it might interest you to know that Balzac was famously paid by the word, which can explain why you found some parts boring... however Balzac used this great quantity of words to better his work. I remember when we read very closely a single page from Le Colonel Chabert in school and what appeared to me at first as banal and uninteresting was in fact packed with ideas and informations (how the rythm of the phrase resembles the scansion of a Christian mass, or how the physical description of a character informs the reader of his personality...).

Anyway, I hope my comment didn't come as patronizing and thank you for your work on this channel.

[brendan]

You've inspired me to get back into serious reading . I love this channel!

[fabiolinsleite]

Here's a suggestion: Greek author Alexandros Papadiamantis. His main work is "The Murderess" but he wrote several short chronicles as well.

[ngdsmedia]

The unknown Masterpiece inspired a Beautiful Film by Jacques Rivette entitled La Belle Noiseuse.

[onetruecaesar]

Finished reading "Fat City" by Leonard Gardner a few days ago, thanks for the recommendation, Cliff. Easily the best book I've read this year.

[SirinxDumplings]

Balzac is my favourite writer... I read almost the whole Human Comedy by now (2 books to go).... Many stories feel like a more refined view of the same subjects approached in previous stories... But I find it the fun in reading Balzac Go for Father Goriot, Eugene Grandet and obviously, Lost Illusions... They are really amazing.

[renefonck]

Houellebecq a dit dans une interview que Balzac était le maître de tout les romanciers (la citation est pas exacte mais c'etait l'interview qu'il avait donné à ring, et malheureusement je n'arrive plus à la retrouver)
Et tout cas c'est super que tu parles de Balzac !

[Graenelolz]

„Do tell me about Ball Sack, sir. Is he really that good?“

[bazzbazzley]

Love these sharp, witty and informed reviews, thanks.

[oliviahung]

Excited to just see your video title, this is one of my favourite books of all time!!

[IndustrialBonecraft]

Pere/Old Goriot is definitely worth a read. Of the classics, Balzac is a breath of fresh air from the often dusty and dry stodge than makes up so much of the well-known canon.

[jonmarie]

This makes me so happy!!! Been waiting for a new review.

[croinkix]

I haven't read the story, but the splotch of paint sounds like the painting of the angelic figure in Bresson's adaptation of Dostoevsky's White Nights(Four Nights of A Dreamer) Bresson as a painter said the only painter that made him want to paint was Cezanne. Fun Fact; Claire Denis makes a cameo in Four Nights if A Dreamer. I know Cliff don't connect with Bresson but I thought it was worth mentioning. I'll check the story out!

[FlintSL]

Love how you wanted to shake some life into Balzac, really shows how you want to love everything you get your hands on. Great review once again

[pocenha]

Love Balzac, I will have a look in this book

[seldomplayed]

Thank you so much for reviewing a book that you didn't like that much. I'd been skipping your reviews lately because it seemed like every time you would love the book and you just gushed about the book. It makes me happy to know that you may review some sacred cow and review something you didn't like.

Some related books I have thoughts on you might want to check out. Balzac's most regarded books is potentially Old Goriot, but I couldn't get into it because I hated that a bunch of it was younger people making fun of & belittling a sweet old man. Zola's "Germinal" is a real great read. If you haven't checked Guy de Maupassant, check out his short story "Ball of Fat" (free on kindle I think). Bel Ami is his best regarded (according to a french scholar I drove from the train station a few months ago, for what it's worth. .

[FYI, I'm a rideshare driver, and every time I drive someone visiting the US from another country, I always ask them "What is the one book or movie that you with more people outside your country had read or seen & why?" I always get great recommendations from that.] Sorry for any spelling errors. It's 3am and there are gunshots ringing out all over my city because of rioting.

[calum]

You ever read John Vaillant’s ‘The Tiger’? It’s non-fiction but I think it’d suit this channel. About a man-eating tiger on the prowl in Siberia . . . the chapter describing the tiger’s first kill is amazing

[zah]

Oh, wait! I AM drinking coffee while I listen to you

[Charlie-ipku]

This isn't relevant to this video but you should definitely read Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey